A New York City Beggar Says He Makes $200 an Hour

The homeless of New York City are raking in big bucks, according to one panhandler outside Grand Central Terminal.

Will Andersen claims to make $200 an hour in addition to a copious amounts of food when begging with his pup, Rizzo, on East 42nd Street between Vanderbilt and Madison avenues.

 "On a Friday morning, I make $400 in two hours,'' Andersen, told New York Post.

While Anderson was being interviewed, another bum intervened exclaiming "I got three breakfast sandwiches today! And they were all meat! I'm putting on pounds out here!"

"I have gotten $80 or $100 from a single person. And they will say, 'Just do something good tonight.' They mean go to a hotel or a hostel,'' he added.

Andersen reportedly makes enough cash to afford an apartment. He sleeps there at nights and spends his day begging for handouts.

"I get people who give me five bucks each day. Five bucks each day, that's five days a week, two people - that's $50 a week right there. I get dog food. I put away for rent. I pay $300 a month, that's nothing."

Location is everything, as another homeless man located at the northeast corner of West 35th Street and Seventh Avenue near Penn Station told NY Post.

"There are other spots where people get hundred-dollar bills. I could go over to Fifth Avenue and make $150 before lunch,'' said the man, 36, who gave only his first name, Daniel. "But I don't want to deal with the hassle,'' he said. "There's people that bully you to get out of the good spots.''

However, Andersen admits having an adorable dog by his side elevates his begging game. "

"People are more generous because I have a dog, 100 percent. They throw me a dollar and say, 'That's for the dog,'" Andersen said.

People are surely giving out of the kindness of their hearts, but the city Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is telling residents they should not give to panhandlers if they want to keep their neighborhoods free of the homeless. Surprisingly, other homeless people agree.

"If you stop giving them money and help them with those other things, like blankets, clothing and food, they would definitely leave because they would know they couldn't get the money to get high or drunk," said Shaunyece Darling, who begs with her boyfriend, dog and three cats.